My research is in the field of high energy physics, which is the study of the most basic building blocks of the universe and the fundamental forces through which they interact. This field is also commonly known as elementary particle physics. Scientists working in this field explore the most fundamental questions about the nature of our universe. I perform my research at the highest energy particle accelerators in the world along with colleagues from both MSU and around the world. In particular, my work focuses on understanding the physical mechanisms that explain why matter has mass. While mass and its interaction with gravity are the most clear indications that forces exist, the mystery of why particles have mass at all and why observed particle masses span such a great range remains a major focus in high energy physics.